Platforms: Submersibles

Over the last few decades, engineers have developed submersible technologies capable of meeting the many challenges that the deep sea imposes upon explorers. Using advanced submersible technologies, remarkable new deep-water ecosystems have been discovered. Many of these communities were believed not to exist in harsh environments devoid of light and under crushing pressure. One such community was found in an area surrounding a hydrothermal vent, where water temperatures reach hundreds of degrees Centigrade and the water is bathed in caustic sulfur. After preliminary studies, which discovered many new species and raised even more questions about these organisms, researchers declared these communities to be as complex as many found on land.

As much as we may learn about our planet's underwater habitats through the use of satellites, shipboard sensors and divers, these technologies scratch only the surface of the oceans. Submersibles alone enable us to explore the abyssal depths. This section of the site highlights some of the major advancements in submersible technology. These submersibles allow us to travel deeper and with a greater degree of freedom than ever before, so that we can observe, describe and ultimately explain the phenomena of life in the deep ocean realm.

Alvin, which is operated by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), has been in service since 1964. Just as the space shuttle is built to withstand the near total vacuum of outer space, Alvin is built to withstand the crushing pressure of the deep ocean.

The DeepWorker is a compact and lightweight submersible allowing one explorer at a time to descend to depths as great as 3,300 feet. The sub is easy to operate, opening up the underwater experience to nontraditional explorers as well as experienced field scientists.

Hercules is one of the very few Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROV) specifically designed to be used as a scientific tool. Built for the Institute For Exploration (IFE), Hercules is equipped with special features that allow it to perform intricate tasks while descending to depths of 4,000 meters (2.5 miles).

Jason/Medea is a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) system designed by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. It is a two-body ROV system, with Medea serving in a tether management role that decouples Jason from surface motion. Together they offer wide area survey capabilities with Jason as a precision multi-sensory imaging and sampling platform.

The Mir I and Mir II are battery-powered, three-person submersibles with a maximum operating depth of 6,000 m (20,000 ft). This deep-diving capability ranks the Mir vehicles among the deepest diving submersibles ever built, and gives them the capability to reach approximately 98% of the ocean floor.

The Pisces IV and Pisces V are three-person, battery-powered, submersibles operated by the Hawaii Undersea Research Laboratory. HURL has the unique advantage of having access to two deep-diving submersibles at the same time. When one sub is diving the other is always in ready dive status.

ROPOS is a remotely operated vehicle designed to carry out a wide range of scientific explorations at depths of up to 5,000 meters. Over the years, the ROPOS system has logged over 3,500 operating hours in its 1400+ dives.

The submersibles listed on this page are retired by their institution or no longer used on expeditions funded by NOAA's Office of Ocean Exploration and Research. The information for these submersibles is no longer updated.